Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
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Introduction to Health Science
taste bud a sensory cell that converts fl avors into
electrical signals
team nursing a care model in which an RN functions
as a team leader and has a group of nursing staff
members who report to him or her; together the
group divides the nursing care tasks
technical reading a skill used to comprehend
science, business, or technology publications
technical skills the ability to perform tasks in a
specifi c healthcare discipline or department
technical training education lasting two years or less
and leading to an industry certifi cate, a technical
diploma, or an associate’s degree
technical writing a type of writing used in the
workplace to inform or persuade a specifi c audience
teleconferencing the use of telephones to hold
meetings that allows healthcare professionals to
interact and collaborate over long distances
telehealth the use of electronic information and
telecommunications technologies to support
long-distance clinical healthcare, health-related
education, public health, and health administration
telemedicine a fi eld of medicine in which
communication and information technologies are
used to provide medical services to patients in
remote locations
telesurgery a surgical technique that combines a reliable
telephone line and multimedia image communication
with robotic equipment and a skilled surgeon who is a
considerable distance from the patient
temporal lobes lobes of the brain that lie near the
ears and control hearing, balance, emotions, speech
planning, and memory associations
tendon a tough, fi brous tissue that connects muscles
to bones
terminal branches branches located at the end of an
axon, which connect to other cells
terminal cleaning procedure for cleaning and
disinfecting a patient hospital room in preparation
for a newly admitted patient
tertiary source a document compiled from primary
and secondary sources that gives an overview of a
specifi c topic
testes the male sex organs
testosterone a hormone that is responsible for
development of male characteristics during puberty
thalamus area of the brain that acts as a relay station
for sorting, interpreting, and directing sensory
signals to the appropriate area of the cerebral cortex
therapeutic term that describes treatment given to
maintain or restore health
therapeutic diet a special food plan ordered by a
physician to help treat a disease
third-party payer an insurance company that
pays the healthcare service provider for services
rendered to a patient
thoracic cavity the part of the ventral cavity that
lies above the diaphragm muscle; includes the
pericardial cavity and two pleural cavities
thrombocyte a cell fragment that helps form blood
clots to repair injured blood vessels
throughput the factor of a system that refers to how
the system processes or uses the inputs
thymus a butterfl y-shaped organ in the chest
that helps program lymphocytes to respond to
infection
thyroid gland the largest endocrine gland in the
body, which controls energy, metabolism, and
calcium levels in the blood
tier one of two or more rows, levels, or ranks
arranged one above another
tissue a group of cells of the same type working
together for the same purpose
tonsils lymphatic tissues located near the back of the
throat that help protect against infection
tort an action that harms another person’s body or
property or takes away his or her freedom of action
in some way
total lung capacity the amount of air the lungs can
hold during the deepest possible breath
toxic poisonous or harmful
trachea the tube that leads from the larynx to the
lungs; also known as the windpipe
transcriptionist a health information technician who
types medical record information from a physician’s
recorded dictation
transmission-based precautions heightened care
techniques that are performed in addition to
standard precautions based on how a patient’s
infection is spread
transport technicians healthcare workers who
take patients to and from diagnostic imaging
appointments and maintain transportation devices
transverse plane the body plane that divides the
body into top and bottom sections
triage an evaluation process in which a group of
patients is sorted according to the urgency of their
need for care
tuberculosis (TB) a very serious bacterial infection
that most commonly affects the lungs and, before
the development of antibiotics, was generally
fatal
tympanic membrane thin membrane that divides
the outer and middle ear and changes sound waves
into vibrations; also known as the eardrum
U
ultrasonic cleaners devices that use sound waves
to create millions of water jets that gently remove
debris from lab equipment
unconscious being unaware of surroundings or of
different attitudes
unions organizations that bring together workers
from the same company or region to bargain
collectively
unit cost the price of one measurable unit of a food
item, such as 1 pound, 1 ounce, or 1 piece